Recently, my daughter stopped by the office. She is seven and loves technology (yay!). Here are her tinker and tech recommendations as you consider gifts for the people on your list.

What's on Mom's list this Christmas? I've been checking out the Rocketbook. Fellow Instructional Technologist, Keith Tramper, described it to me. He takes Sketchnotes, which help him organize and visualize his ideas (and look really cool!). Check him out at MACUL. You can record your notes in Rocketbook, send them to the cloud through your phone, and when your notebook is full--microwave it and start over! I bought two of these for my tech minded family members.

Virtual Reality headsets are the rage this Christmas.Even my very old uncle was asking me what all the hype was. Brooke is pictured checking out Tigers on the National Geographic app. They get right up in your face.Google Expeditions are fun--I took the Delton-Kellogg Kindergartners and 4th graders underwater to look at coral, fish, and turtles.The Cardboard headsets are an affordable entry point, check out these holiday ones for $7, with fancier headsets ranging to $$$.

​Osmos are a hit with both my kids. Caden is 4.They especially love the Monster app. When they draw on paper or whiteboard, Osmo picks up their drawing and incorporates into the story.The numbers, letters, and tangram apps are engaging and kids can even compete with each other.There is a new app that simulates a Pizza Store.You do need an iPad for Osmo.Right now Osmo ships free!Recommended for ages 5-12.

​Dash is so cute! Brooke loves to program him to follow her commands (ha!). She used an iPad (but you can also use Android and Kindle) to write the program and created a parade. She even decorated the two robots with Legos. There are many different codable robot options available. Spheros and Ozobots are popular, too.​Fisher Price even came out with a Code-a-pillar that I know several friends purchased.

We have been traveling across SW Michigan to share ​instructional technology with students!Here are some highlights:

Manufacturing Day at Lake Michigan College in South HavenStudents from many Southwest Michigan school districts visited Manufacturing Day booths located at the college and at the Industrial Center to learn about and practice manufacturing opportunities. We hosted a social media booth where we took Green Screen video footage and also updated the Twitter and Facebook feed for the event with our photos.

Lake Center Stem Night in Portage​We had a fun night demonstrating and explaining our 3D printers and giving families an opportunity to check out Osmo’s Tangram and Coding games. Kids were fascinated by how the printers worked. Community members had many booths for students and parents to visit at the model STEM night event.

Brown Elementary Halloween Maker Day in St. JosephBerrien RESA planned an awesome event for students on Halloween with lessons using cardboard, building rockets, stop motion animation, and my center: Dash robots and coding. This is a great model for an event we can bring to your school for those holiday half days that could use a little educational pick me up! Contact us for more info.

MiCareer Quest at the Kalamazoo Expo Center​KRESA does an amazing job bringing in people from all over SW Michigan to talk to 8th and 9th grade students about career opportunities. We were next to the State Police squad car (coincidence?) and I also met a sweet alligator named Freddie. We presented our 3D printers and had the Osmo up and running, which was a huge hit. Students could also code and take a quiz to see what they know about instructional technology.

Over the last year and a half, 3D printing has been "extruding" its power in the K-12 educational setting. At REMC 12W, it is our pleasure to explore and share with our partnering educators the ideas and tools related to this and other technology integration movements. We have been able to purchase various models of 3D printers and now that we have had time to use them, do a little training on them, and yes trouble shoot issues; we would like to be able to share them with you. Each printer is listed below along with the website so that you are able to check out printer specs.

​New Matter MOD-t 3D Printer | WebsiteThis printer is very user-friendly with machine driven calibration before each print. The enclosed print area is safe and provides a nice viewing experience. Prints have proven to be mid-grade and easy to remove from the build platform. The downloaded software that connects the computer and printer is low level with just enough features. The user may upload files or grab files created and shared in the New Matter store.

​SeeMeCNC Eris & Orion 3D Printers | WebsiteThe Eris printer has proven to be easy to use and very low maintenance with auto calibration and no heated build plate. The Orion is currently under going an upgrade to include auto calibration and is set up to work with a heated build plate. The downloaded software that connects the printers to a computer allows for user control of many features. The prints are high in quality.

​Polar3D Printer | Website​The Polar printer can be used with a PC, Mac, or Chromebook. This printer connects via a wireless connection and has a cloud based software platform to upload prints and control the features of the printer. The bed of the printer is a rotating mirror and uses hairspray as the bonding agent for the heated PLA to adhere to the build plate. The design of this printer enhances the printing experience.

Micro by M3D Printer | WebsiteThis is our cute little printer with trustworthy printing power. Yes the print size is smaller but scaling down is a great skill to teach and learn! The downloaded software is user-friendly with simple features that assist in loading and unloading filament along with uploading the printable files. This printer can travel anywhere and sit on just about any flat surface.

Formlabs Form 2 3D Printer | WebsiteOur liquid 3D printer. While all of the other printers use a PLA material on a spool to print, this printer uses a liquid resin and laser technology to cure the resin to the build plate. The software can range from beginner to advanced. It is fun to use and see in action. Unfortunately, this printer is not available to send to various sites. We would like you to schedule a field trip to come and use it in our REMC Innovation Center individually and with small group of teachers or students!

Have an interest in using these printers? Contact Tina Tribu or Lorri Batsie to discuss options for training and delivery to your school. At this time we are not using SnapMedia to check out the printers.

Happy Day All! Just wanted to send out a reminder that the REMC sponsored Tinkerzoo Playdate PD Series starts today. It is totally FREE - learning, snacks, and SCECHs. Check out the SWMiTech Events page for more information and registration. You do not need to attend tonight to take advantage of the other sessions offered.

​Tinkerzoo PD & Play Date SeriesBrought to You by REMC12W & REMC Association of MIWhen: Various Dates, Fall-Winter 2016 Time: 4:30pm - 6:00pmWhere: REMC Innovation Center, KRESA Service CenterFree events with snacks providedSCECHs available after completing two sessionsClick here for more information and to register for sessions.

This year at Delton Kellogg Elementary School, grades K, 1, and 4 have the opportunity to visit the STEAM lab with Mrs. Cindy Matousek. She and I share the mentality that STEAM benefits students through hands-on activities, movement, and other principles of kinesthetic learning. We were really “hands-on,” as I showed them the concept of how our Tinkerzoo 3MD printer worked by adding layers. Fourth graders, with their Kindergarten and First Grade buddies, layered their hands on top of each other and described the effect. They were building with their hands!

After discussing some of the things a 3D printer could create, including prosthetic hands, students followed up in the next lesson by voting on objects they could print to be used in their STEAM classroom. A big winner was virtual reality goggles. The .stl file is available on My Mini Factory.

Students are printing the individual pieces in Mrs. Matousek’s lab and will assemble the goggles. How awesome that they chose something to further advance their technology skills in class and a product that can continue to be used by the school district!

I love this quote (and article) by August Deshais, “With this simple exercise, my students went from passive consumers to proud creators, an experience I hope they remember for a lifetime.”

Carolyn Fitzmaurice is an innovative first grade teacher at Portage Central Elementary School. She has spent many hours devoted to her own professional growth around the Maker Movement including day long Tinkerzoo workshops here at KRESA/REMC12W. Carolyn is participating in our checkout system for Tinkerzoo Kits and the latest ~ Ozobots. They are now invading the halls of Central Elementary! In Carolyn's own words;

My class has enjoyed working with the Ozobots SO MUCH that we created a bulletin board together! The entire class went into the hallway and designed their own circuit with codes and everything. Thank you so much for making these kits available for our children to use! It's so interesting to see their little minds work on coding! The excitement in my classroom has definitely increased because of this great center!

If you are interested in other Maker/Tinker supplies but you don't have the funds to purchase and the items are not in Snap Media, let us know and we will look into the possibility of purchasing the item(s) through REMC12W. Send information to: tina.tribu@kresa.org.

REMC 12W has seen a lot of exciting things happening during the last month. Here are just a few:1. SWMi Instructional Technologists and Media Specialists had their first meeting of the year in the REMC Innovation Center. The team participated in some "making," learning about MeL, and sharing. Being involved with this group is always inspirational. If you would like to take part in our next meeting, reach out to us!2. The FormLabs Liquid 3D Printer is up and running. This amazing printer brings the power of advanced stereolithography to your desktop. We are designing, printing, & testing and want you to be part of it. Do you have an idea or a design, bring it in or send it to us and we will print it for you!3. Students from KRESA's Valley Center school came over to do some hands-on learning in both our Innovation Center and our Workroom. They were able to explore 3D printing, program & drive robots, and learn about the process of using die-cuts to decorate their school bulletin boards. Our learning space fits nicely into many school objectives. Bring your students over to learn and enjoy the experience.

As always, any questions or comments, please direct them to Tina Tribu (tina.tribu@kresa.org). Thanks and have a great day!

We are putting together a series of afterschool professional development sessions. These sessions are based on need from your feedback. Keep that feedback coming and we will provide! Follow this Blog and/or our Events page to stay informed.

Topics Available and To Come

21 Things 4 Teachers Series

Blended Learning Series

Maker Movement Series

Green Screen Use in All Classrooms

Virtual Reality Learning

With lots more to come...

Basic Information for All SessionsWhere: REMC Innovation Center (RIC) at KRESADates: Various Dates Found on Events PageTime: 4:30 pm - 6:00 pmSnacks ProvidedSCECHs Available if Two or More Sessions are AttendedCost: FREE for REMC 12W Districts

​​​A few years ago at the Midwest Education Technology Conference (METC) in St. Louis, I (that's Lorri) had the opportunity to listen to Jamie Casap. He proposed a philosophy that he would go on to share with many others including First Lady Michelle Obama.

This philosophy shaped my classroom and pedagogy. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I began implementing what would become Problem Based Learning. As a veteran middle school computer teacher, I wanted to reach beyond teaching spreadsheets and presentations or even coding, and consider how we could use those tools to solve relevant problems. My favorite lessons became those that were real life and connected my kids to others.

As KRESA’s new Instructional Technologist, I continue to ponder the application of this paradigm. How can I help teachers solve “problems” in their classrooms? Engagement? Differentiation? Acquisition of 21st Century learning skills? I love working with teachers to create technology enhanced lessons.

My mind has been blown with the amount of resources available at the REMC12W Innovation Center. I have already learned so much about tools I only previously dreamed of using. It only took me five (6? 7?) tries to get the hang of the 3D Printer. Some days I still smile and nod at all the new info I’m trying to acquire. But I remember the very hope I had for my kids in my classroom--Don’t Give Up! Part of problem solving is learning from mistakes and developing grit. At Kalamazoo Inspire 2016, Dr. Damon Arnold illustrated that we are like rubber bands. If left alone, we return to a natural state of relaxation. We have to keep stretching by taking risks. Then, as Tina added, “We fly!”

I’m looking forward to a great first year at Delton-Kellogg Schools and at REMC12W’s Innovation Center finding new ways to stretch and fly as an Instructional Technologist. (Gaiman quotation from Modcloth)